This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from my application COMPUTER SYSTEM HAVING DISPLAY DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING SYSTEM STATE INFORMATION AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Sep. 4, 1998 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 36597/1998.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system, and more particularly to a computer system with a function that a user can recognize a current state of a computer system having a display device for displaying system state information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer technology has remarkably advanced over the last decade. According to the advancement, various functions (for example, a communication function and an audio/video refresh function) have been added to a computer system. A computer system having these functions is called a xe2x80x98multimedia computerxe2x80x99.
Further, the technology for reducing power consumption of a computer system has been advanced. In general, there are two methods for minimizing the power consumption of a computer system. First, when data are not inputted from an input device during a fixed time, a display operation of a display device is stopped. Second, when access to a hard disk drive (HDD) is not performed, the hard disk drive (HDD) stops operating. This power management technology can efficiently extend a duration of using a battery of a portable computer.
Recently, a special display device for displaying system state information is installed in a computer system. A vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) and a liquid crystal display (LCD) are generally used as the display device in a desk-top computer and a portable computer, respectively.
A desk-top computer includes a display monitor, a body, a keyboard, and a mouse. A vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) panel is installed in a front bezel of the computer body. The state data of a computer system is displayed in the vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) panel. For example, a current time and an operating state of an audio player and a video player are displayed in the vacuum fluorescent display (VFD).
Also, a portable computer includes a body and a hinge-combined liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. As described above, a small-sized liquid crystal display (LCD) panel for displaying system state information is installed in the body. For example, the access state of a floppy disk drive and a hard disk drive is displayed in the small-sized liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.
Therefore, special display device for displaying of the computer system state information is installed in the computer system, so that a convenient use environment is supplied for a user.
As mentioned previously, a computer system possesses a power management function. A power management system (PMS) having a simple power management function is applied to the computer system in the early stage, but an advanced power management system (APMS) having advanced power management function is recently applied to the computer system. In this regard, an advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) is suggested by Intel corporation, Microsoft corporation, and Toshiba corporation, for example. A detailed description of the advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) is disclosed in Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification Reversion 1.0, for example.
Computer system states according to the advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) and transition of each state will now be described.
The total system state of a computer system is classified into five (5) states as follows: a Legacy state, a G0 state, a G1 state, a G2 state, and a G3 state. The Legacy state is a disable state of advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) function and power management is not performed. The G0 state is a working state and the computer system is normally operated. The G1 state is a sleeping state and power consumption is generally reduced. The G2 state is a soft off state and minimal power consumption is only generated so as to sense a soft switch (a switch for power on/off of the computer system). The G3 state is a mechanical off state and the power supply is wholly intercepted.
If power is supplied when the advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) function of a computer system is enabled, the computer system is classified into six (6) sleeping states S0 through S5. The sleeping states S0, S1 through S4, and S5 correspond to the G0 state, G1 state, and G2 state, respectively. According to the operating states of the computer system, in states S1 through S4, power consumption is reduced step by step in response to the operating states.
According to the state of the computer system, power consumption of devices (for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and a modem) installed in the computer system is reduced step by step. The steps are classified into C0 through C3 (in the central processing unit (CPU)) and D0 through D3 (in the compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), the hard disk drive (HDD), and the modem).
In the foregoing advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI), power consumption is reduced step by step in accordance with operating states of a computer system. As mentioned above, information according to the advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) is not displayed in a special device for displaying state information of the computer system. Thus, a user cannot know a proceeding step of the power consumption reduced by the advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) and cannot distinguish the G2 state (soft off state) and the G3 state (mechanical off state). Then, if a main board is changed so as to repair the computer system, the main board can be damaged owing to abruptly applied power.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,711 to Gregory entitled Portable Computer With BIOS-Independent Power Management, discloses a personal computer in which a microcontroller, separate from the main processor, is used for power-management functions. It is disclosed the power-management microcontroller can take control of the system bus to provide BIOS-independent power management.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,763 to Combs, et al. entitled Desk Top Computer System Having Multi-level Power Management, disclose a computer system having four states of power management: a normal operating state, a standby state, a suspend state, and an off state. It is disclosed the standby state is characterized by devices, such as a video controller and a hard drive, being placed into a low-power mode transparent to the operating system and the applications executing on the computer system. The suspend state is disclosed as characterized by executing code being interrupted and the state of the computer system being saved to a file on the hard drive in such a manner that system power can be removed after the state of the computer system is saved to the hard drive. Later, after system power is restored, it is disclosed the state of the computer system is resumed by reading from the hard drive and loading it in such a manner that the operating system and application programs are not adversely affected. The normal operating state and the off state is disclosed as corresponding to typical on and off states of computer systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,172 to Seo entitled Apparatus And Method For Displaying PMS Information In A Portable Computer, discloses an apparatus and method for displaying power management system (PMS) information in a portable computer includes a video random access memory (RAM) for storing the power management system (PMS) information as a preset data configuration. It is disclosed a keyboard controller outputs a signal corresponding to an operating state represented by a user key selection and a system interrupt signal. A power management system (PMS) controller outputs a corresponding signal after sensing a present charging/discharging state of the voltage of a battery. It is disclosed a real-time clock (RTC) stores data corresponding to the mode and level of the power management system (PMS) set during an initial set-up step of computer operation. It is disclosed a video controller reads the power management system (PMS) information stored in the video random access memory (RAM), and displays the information as a preset data configuration on a display unit when a corresponding key signal is output from the keyboard controller. A central processing unit (CPU) it is disclosed reads the present battery level from the power management system (PMS) controller, reads the mode and level of the power management system (PMS) stored in the real-time clock (RTC) when an interrupt signal is generated from the keyboard controller, and controls the operation of displaying the power management system (PMS) information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,198 to Fung entitled Activity Monitor For Computer System Power Management, discloses a power conservation system for use in a computer system. It is disclosed the power system has an activity monitor and a plurality of power modes of operation, wherein the activity monitor detects the activity level of the computer system through hardware and/or software. By controlling the power mode of operation in response to the activity of the computer system, it is disclosed the power consumption of the computer system can be controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,200 to Frid, et al. entitled Using Firmware To Enhance The Functionality Of A Controller, disclose a single controller that handles keyboard functions and ACPI configuration and power management functions, while providing priority to keyboard functions so that there is no end user-perceptible compromise of keyboard functionality. When an interrupt is received by the microcontroller, it is determined whether the interrupt is an embedded controller interrupt received at the embedded controller host interface or a keyboard interrupt received at the keyboard host interface. It is disclosed if the interrupt is a keyboard interrupt, the keyboard function is handled in a standard fashion. If the interrupt is an embedded controller interrupt for an ACPI configuration or power management function, it is disclosed a burst timer is started and the command is handled by a command dispatcher.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,765 to Dove, et al. entitled System And Method For Initializing A Multinode Multiprocessor Computer System, disclose an apparatus and method for initializing a shared-memory, Multinode multiprocessor computer system. It is disclosed the nodes in the multiprocessor computer system separately and independently run standard PC-based BIOS routines in parallel for initialization of the nodes.
An object among other objects of the present invention is to provide a computer system having a display device for displaying an advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) state and a control method for displaying system state information.
According to the present invention, there is provided a computer system having a power management function through advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) that includes:
a power management controller for controlling a power supply circuit;
a detection means for detecting an advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) state;
a display means for displaying information of the advanced configuration and a power interface specification (ACPI) state and a power state;
a display controller for outputting the advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) state information supplied from the detection means and the power state information supplied from the power management controller through the display means.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the display means includes one of a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) and a liquid crystal display (LCD).
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method for controlling a computer system having a power management function through advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) and a function to display power management states through a special external display device including the steps of:
determining whether an operating state of a computer system is normal;
determining a step that belongs to a current state of a computer system among advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) states, if the operating state of the computer system is abnormal; and
displaying corresponding state information among the advanced configuration and power interface specification (ACPI) states.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of displaying refresh state information of an audio/video refresh function.
Also, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of displaying information of a central processing unit (CPU) using state, a memory using state, and a current time.